Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-04-04
THE STEAMER sCYTHIA.
Reported to Have been Washed Ashore.
Arrives Safely at the " hart in BOSTON
The Worst Gale Ever Encountered in
Boston Bay-Capt. Roberts Very indis.
nant.
BOSTON. Anril >

a.
ming, that the steamer Scythis of the Cunsrd
line, had gone ashore in the breakers Of,
Sctuate, come six miles from Minot's light
just before dusk tonight. 1t also reported
tnat at the time of the alleged disaster a
oilnding snow storm prevailed, accompanied
oy terrible gale of wind, and that the sen
was simply awful.
1he ocythia has over eight hundred per-
sons on board including passengers and crew.
Rumors which cannot be verified. becsuse
teieeraphic communication with that section
Is absolutely interrupted by the storm. are
current that there has been great loss of life.
Inc Cunard Company and wrecking compap-
les have endeavored TO send out tugs TO the
relief of the stranded ship, but the sea was SO
terrlhc that they could not live outside. and
are now waiting for the sea to subside.
LATER.-The report of the disaster has
been confirmed by the poise boat Protection,
Tugs with relief crews and reporters on
board, will leave tor the scene of the wreck
as soon as 1t Is safe to venture outside.
Boston, April 8, 225 A. NJ.
a train has been sent out by the Old Col.
ony road Tor point nearest Scituate, where
the steamer Scythia is reported ashore. A
number of reporters have gone on this train,
but the particulars are not likely to be re-
ceived before morning. Up TO this hour no
additional facts have reached here, although
every effort has been made to secure addi-
tional details. The first news was brought
to this city by the last train from Scituate.
but tho Cunard officials state that they have
not been able to verify the report, and the
agent, in the absence ofpositive information,
is inclined to question the truth of it. While
the report has been general in thi, CITY, il
cant be traced to any definite source, and
there Is some reason to hope that it NAV
prove unfounded.
The steamer Scythia British, Capt Rob :
erts, from Liverpool March %. arrived al the
dock in tbs city about five O'Clock tonight
with one cabin, l70 intermediate and 500
steerage passengers. rhe steamer is report
ed as entirely uninjured Captain Roberts
was very indignant when informed of the ru-
morthat had been circulated that the Scythia
had gone ashore, and made the following
statement:
''On last Friday we encountered a heavy
gale from E. N. E. accompanied by a blind
ing snow storm. From our position at noon
on Saturday, Cape Cod bore S. W. by w,
32 miles. At that time the ships head was
Immediately put around and heaped eastw ard
not thinking 1t prudent to proceed further
owing to the heavy gale and binding snow.
She was run at half speed for fifty. eight miles
when the storm abated some and it COM
melced to clear"
Capt Roberts further states that it was the
heaviest gale he ever experienced in Boston
bay. On March 81 John Ekman, a steerage
Passenger, died OF rheumatic fever and was
buried at sea.
The origin of the rumor to the effect that
the Cunard steamer had been wrecked on the
nd nb oh
found sensation here last night, is still a
mystery.
1t appears that the officers of the police
boat Protector reported at the police head
qusrders that they learned the fact of the
disaster at the Cunard wharf in East Bos-
ton.
The reporters, of course, heard the story
at the police headquarters, and made rush
for the offico of the company on State street.
Here Agent Martin was found in state of
nervous anxiety, having been summoned from
his residence bv an employe who heard the
story az the wharf where it may have been
circulated by the harbor police. The latter
do not know who gave them the alleged in
formation at the Cunard whsrf, but supposed
that 1t was the night watchman on the wharf.
This is as far as the report can be traced in
that direction.
From all that can be learned it would seem
that there were two distinct reports of the
stranding of the steamer on the south shore,
and the two fitted together so well and the
chances were So favorable for such a disaster
that 10 one seems to have doubted the fact of
the catastrophe. The other report came from
a passenger on the last train from Plymouth.
At Plymouth, just before the train was ready
to start, guns were heard booming in the di-
recton of the shore to the northward or to-
ward Scituate, and some one remarked that
there must be a big steamer ashore ip that
direction. This remark wss overheard by
the passenger referred to, aud he, upon the
arrival of the train in Boston. reported to the
Old Colony railway officials a story to the
effect that large passenger steamer was in
the breakers at Scituate. Thus the two re.
ports got into circulation, becoming exsgger-
ated, doubtless, as such reports generally do
by being passed from one person to another.
The steamer was expected to arrive on
Friday and when the rumor started on Sat
urday night that she had been wrecked on the
coast in the terrible gale and binding snow
storm which p evaied for SO hours. it seemed
molly too probable that such misfortune had
occurred. Telegraph wires along the south
shore had been thrown down by the gale and
it was not possible to communicate with
towns on the coast, thereby rendering il i'm
possible either to confirm or disprove the
alarming rumors. The element of probabil-
ty being SO favorable, Agent Martin finally
ran a special train down the coast, thus end
ing the terrible suspence.
The train left Boston at 8 15 with represen'
tatives of the Cunard Co. and of the city
papers on board. Stops were made at the
various points, people being awakened and
questioned in regard to the reported wreck.
At none of the places had anything been
heard of any disaster. From the cliffs at So
Scituate was obtained a fine view of the
coast on which terrible sea was dashing, the
surf being 40 or so feet in height, but ledges,
rocks and beaches were all free from wreck
age and from all indications of the recent
disaster to shipping.
The party then returned to Boston and q
denial of the sensational reports of the night
before were posted on the bulletin boards OF
newspapers and dispatches sent to as many
as could be reached on the Sabbath in az
effort to counteract the effect of the pres:
dispatches that had been forwarded and which
were founded on information at hand prev
ious to the departure of the special train
1t is though by some that the story started al
a canard but the rumors were traced back
far enough to discrejit this theory. The
passengers of the Scythia report having hac
a tempestuous voyage but nothing of an un
usual character occurred.